Crying baby

[carolbabe1]

My daughter and I are having problems esp early evening with baby screaming and not settling. He is drawing his knees up in pain. We are giving him colic drops which seem to help a little, but he is still in pain and so distressing for my daughter to see. Baby is shattered because he wants to sleep but is being disturbed with this pain, we feel at the end of our tether. He is 4 wks old on Tues. I have been looking on here and see lots of you have the same problem and say it takes time, but it is so hard whilst you are going through it. Is there anything we can do to help him sleep through this pain? He struggles to go the loo but does manage. Thank you. Nan of a fractious baby and daughter

Sounds like he's in pain from colic. Try a warm bath, rocking him to sleep with white noise in the background and to help pass stool making his legs 'cycle'. Switch bottles to anti colic ones such Dr Brown. Also, if formula feeding switch over to Cow & Gate's Comfort milk as it's easier on the little one's digestion.

I know how hard it is but honestly it takes time. If you can afford it go to a registered cranial osteopath. It worked wonders with my ds1.

Sorry that you're all having a hard time. It is very distressing when you're going through it, and even knowing that it's 'normal' doesn't help!

The evening is the real witching hour. My baby had to be on my boob constantly and in hindsight I think she needed a lot of winding. Carrying the baby in a sling helps a lot. Has your daughter a sling?

Things that worked for us: putting baby in sling and walking round the house (or round the block if desperate); hairdryer on full near her would help knock her put when overtired; bouncing big deep bounces up and down while holding her upright on shoulder. Swaddling can help, swaying, etc. Also about half an hour before baby normally starts being colicky, stick them in bath (with mum is even better) and have quiet chillout time, massage etc. Hth

If it keeps going it may be worth looking into silent reflux. I don't have any experience myself but one of my nct group's Daughter had this and struggled terribly before it was diagnosed.

also "sun and moon" baby massage routine for tummy helps get rid of wind/constipation...The best tip I got though was from a midwife at a breastfeeding cafe who swaddled the baby tightly, sat her on her knee (so baby's legs/spine at right angles to eachother" and circled the baby's torso firmly. It really chilled mine out and got wind up. You can do the same with their legs while baby lies flat.

Walking up and down stairs whilst snuggling her might help too.

Yes as ThinkAboutTomorrow says - mine actually had to gue tie hence being windy and cranky. Skin on skin time in bath & bed helped get us through.

i believe in getting baby checked by doctor, i know a lot of people write it off as normal but if you were in so much pain you couldn't sleep you would be straight off to see someone about it?
i think if doctor says all ok i would try to sign up for baby massage class. ds and i did one at surestart centre when he was small and there are a few things you can do to help ease colic including as already mentioned, cycling legs.
if possible to breastfeed stick to this as formula does have a tenancy to constipate whereas breastmilk does the opposite? at four weeks i think it would be possible to get going even if you have stopped. worth checking with bf counsellor.

the other thing that has just sprung to mind, although early for getting into a sleep routine. i think our ds was very ovetired by 'bedtime' and needed a n afternoon nap, might be worth being extra vigilant in the afternoon and encouraging a bit more sleep in the afternoon to make bedtime less cranky?

I really empathise, my son was like this for almost ten weeks. I was convinced there must be something wrong, everybody was telling me they had never known a baby like him. Poor little thing seemed to have trapped wind as well as colic and reflux.

I read about purple crying which helped to settle in my head this might just be a normal developmental phase after countless trips to the GP - first time mum here - to rule out anything medical. Info here.

Countless people mentioned swaddling to me and I discounted iftbecause he hated being wrapped up to sleep and I had tried it once early on and he didn't like it. I came back to it later on out of desperation and it worked. I did my own, less extreme version of this swaddle routine and it worked. I just loosely wrapped my baby, enough so I could hold him without his limbs flailing without him being very swaddled and I held him tummy to tummy rather than the way the babies are held in the video. Then I said 'shhh' repeatedly while swaying from side to side. I found he liked quite a fast movement with me moving side to side while also moving him up and down in my arms a little. I was amazed by how well it worked, I only wish I had discovered it sooner. I completely recognise what you're saying about your poor baby being shattered but unable to sleep. I tried it one day when my little one was so distressed I didn't know what I could do for him and it calmed him enough to get him to sleep. My partner used to put him down on a changing mat sit in front of him and just push him back and forth. This worked too for some reason, it must be the movement.

I hope your baby comes right soon.